WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- Deciding whether to buy or rent is a big question to answer when moving to a new city. In Watertown, it seems more people choose the second option, as almost 60 percent of housing units are renter-occupied.
It's created some issues in the city.
"Absentee landlords, our housing stock, the structures are older than typical," said Watertown City Councilmember Stephen Jennings. "About 56 percent were built before 1940, so that leads into code issues."
Jennings brought up a potential solution to these issues at this week's council meeting. The Proactive Rental Registration and Inspection program would create new regulations for landlords.
"Registering a property, having it inspected periodically. Most cities do it about every three years," said Jennings. "Then inspecting the property and making sure it's up to code before they rent, and certifying that property to rent."
Right now, the city inspects properties only if a complaint is made. While Jennings says the program is about improving the city, some council members want to keep property owners' concerns in mind.
"Some of the landlords, it's making them uncomfortable. They don't want government in their houses and we get that; I get that," said Watertown City Councilmember Teresa Macaluso. "So we have to try and find a plan that's comfortable for them, that doesn't look like we're trying to punish people for doing business in Watertown."
Moving forward, city officials want to continue discussing the program and see how many landlords and housing units will be affected in the city before they make a decision. Council members say as they continue to discuss the program, landlords and property owners are encouraged to express their concerns at council meetings.